Chinese youth playing socialist MMORPG

I found this story over on digg.com - as someone who spends maybe a little too much time playing these kinds of games, it's interesting to see.

"For beginners, sewing and mending socks is the only way to increase experience and to upgrade," said Jiao Jian, a six-grade pupil in Yuexiu District, quoted by the newspaper.

"Every time you are promoted to a higher level, your clothes will become more average," he said.

Games are massively underestimated as a vector of culture and learning. The US military have been using games for years to keep soldiers in a battle ready state of mind (since they got a special version of Doom II).

The emergence of "serious" games (ie games with a message or motive) is something to monitor closely.

read more | digg story